Ordnance



Aug l2 19240 I 1,504,504

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W. A. RANDOLPH ORDNANCE 1923 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 21,

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Patented A. 12, 1924.

"UNITED STATES WILLIAM A. RANDOLPH,

OF SEATTLE, MON.

OBDNANGE.

Application and larch 21; ms. Serial no. mass.

To all whom it may concern:

DOLPH, a citizen of the United States, and

aresident of Seattle, King County, Washin on, have invented certain new and usefu Improvements in Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

This invention .relates to ordnance, and more particularly to an improved type of machine guncarriage of a wheel supported and armoured type; it being the principal object of the invention to provide a carriage of a character that may be pushed along by the gunner, and whereon a machine gun may be mounted pivotally so that the gun may be moved from side to side, or upwardly or downwardly without difiiculty or interference with the carriage. Another object of the invention'is to provide a carriage of an adjustable character, which will permit it to be raised or lowered, so that the gunner may operate from standing or kneeling positions, or while lying down.

A further object of the invention resides in the means provided for permitting thewheels and carriage frame to be folded together so that they will occupy a minimum amount of space for storing or for shipment.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of detachable runners to be fitted onto the carriage wheels so that the device can be operated easily over snow or ice.

Another object resides in the provision of protecting shields for the gunner, of novel construction, and in the means and manner of mountingl them so that they will not interfere with t e adjusting or collapsing of the frame.

Another object resides in the manner of mounting the gun upon .the carriage so that it may be removed and used independently if the occasion should arise.

Other objects of the invention reside in the various details of construction of the frame parts, the wheels, the adjusting mechanism and the mode of operatmgthe parts.

In accomplishing these objects I have provided the improved details of construction the referred forms of which are illustrated in t e accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an armoured machine gun carriage, constructed in accordance with the present invention; the same being. shown with the partsin normal position for use.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same with the runners applied to the wheels. F gure 3 is a plan view of'the device. Figure 4 is a transverse, sectional view taken on the line 44 in Figure 3, particularly illustrating the manner of mountmg the gun within the carriage frame. igure 5 is a detailed, sectional view of an end portion of the axle of the wheel mounting and locking mechanism.

.Figure 6 is a detailed view of the axl locking mechanism. Referring more in'detail' to the drawi 1 and 2,'respectively, designate the o posite side beams of a V shaped frame. ese are joined at their forward ends for pivotally supporting a wheel post 3 that is fixed therein and which is provided with a rearwardly curved bifurcated end portion 4 wherein a wheel 5 is mounted. This wheel preferably would be about one foot in diameter and is so supported as to operate in the manner of a caster.

The beams 1 and 2 extend upwardly in diver 'ng relation and are provided respectively near their rearward ends with bearings 6 and 7 through which a transverse supporting axle 8 is rotatably extended, and which has its opposite end portions 9 and 9- turned downwardly, as is shown best in Figures 4' and 5, and theseparts in turn are provided at their lower ends with outturned portions 10 whereon knuckle supports 11 are mounted. The parts 11 are vertically slotted along their outer ends and within these slots wheel, supporting knuckles 12 are pivotally fixed by pins 13. These knuckles are retained against u ward. movement beyond a horizontal positlon by enga ement with the upper portion of the slot, ut may swing downwardly until their outer ends are extended toward the opposite side of the frame. Each of the knuckles is provided at its outer end with a spindle 14 and on these wheels 15 are mounted to revolve on ball bearings 16. These wheels in their preferred construction would be of the wire spoked type about thirty inches in diameter, and e ulppedwith solid rubber tires 17 divide in short blocks. The knuckles 12 are supported pivotally in order bolts.

that the wheels ma be folded under the carriage when the atter. is collapsed for storin or chi ping, and the means provided for holding this knuckles extended when the carriage is in use consists of bolts that are shdably contained in bores 21 in the members 11,and which are adapted to roj'ect within holes 22 in the knuckle to old the latter rigid. v

Secured to the inner ends of the bolts are cables 23 whereby the bolts may be drawn inwardly to release the knuckle when it is desired to collapse the frame. Normally the bolts are held extended by means of 'coil springs 24 that are located within the bores 21 to press outwardly on the ends of the The opposite side beams of the frame are joined by cross bars 26 and 27, and mounted by means of a. spider 28 that is fixed upon the bar 26, and the central portion of the axle 8, is a machine gun 30. This may be of any suitable type and is held pivotally, so that it may swing upwardly or downwardly from side to side, by means of a yoke 31 havin a post 32 extending downwardly and revolu le within the central portion of the spider and with its arms pivotally connected with a collar 33 that incloses the gun'barrel so that the connection operates in the manner of the universal joint. The gun is so supported with respect to the supporting axle 8 that the gunner operating the same may stand closely back of the axle where he can conveniently grasp the handles 35 and 36 that are formed in the inner ends of the beams 1 and 2. These handles are formed primarily for the purpose of roviding means whereby the carriage may e moved into action, but during an engagement, when the gunner would be occupied with manipulating the un, the movement of the carriage could e afi'ected by means of a strap, as shown at 37 in Figure 3, which is provided with hooks 37 at its ends for connecting it with the handles, and which may be of suflicient length that it would extend around the gunner so that he may move the carriage by this connection.

The axle 8 is mounted pivotally and rotatably within the bearings 6 and 7 in order that the frame may be raised or lowered to suit the convenience of the gunner and to meet any emergency that may arise while the device is in use. As a means of holding it in adjusted positions, I have provided the bearing 7 with defending Wings 40 between which a pair 0 tongs 41 are pivotally mounted on a pin 42 extended between the wings. The jaws of the tongs are adapted to engage between the teeth of a gear wheel 39 that is keyed to the shaft 8 within the bearing. Located between the handle portions of the ton s is a compression spring 44, which urges t e handles apart and thereby retains the jaws in holding relation with the gear wheel. When it is desired to adjust the axle, to lower or raise the frame, the operator grasps and presses the tongs together thereby releasing the car so that the axle may revolve. Then w en proper adjustment has been made, the tongs are released to engage the gear and retain the adjustment.

As a means of protecting the gunner from enemy fire, I have provided a shield 50, provided with an opening 51 through which the forward end of the gun barrel extends. The shield terminates at its forward end in a point and extends rearwardly in a diverging manner so as to give ample protection to the gunner and n. It is formed with a central ridge direct y above the gun, and is supported by means of a strap 55 that incloses the forward end of the barrel of the gun and by means of rods 56 secured at their outer ends to the rearward portion of the shiald and to the gun support at their inner en s.

I have also provided protecting shields 60 and 61; the former being pivotally attached to the under side and forward end portion of the shield 50 and is adapted to swing downwardly, and the latter is swingingly supported from the cross bar 27. It may be. he d in different positions of adjustment by means of a cable 65 attached to its lower end and extended to the axle 8. A cable 66 is likewise attached to the shield 60 so that the latter may be raised clearly of the frame so as not to interfere with swinging the gun from side to side.

In order that the carriage may be operated easily over snow and ice, I have provided runners 70 of semicircular form that are adapted to be fitted onto the wheels, and

to prevent the wheels from turning while I these runners are in use, I have fixed a collar 71 about the wheel supporting post, at the front of the carriage, and to this have connected hooks 72 that may be moved into holding relation with the spokes of the wheel 5. v

To prevent rotation of the wheels 15 I have provided sockets 7 L in the inner sides of the wheel hubs 75 which are adapted to receive therein the inner ends of the knuckle locking bolts 20. Normally the bolts are held from entering the sockets by means of pins 76 mounted in vertical bores 77 in the knuckles. When it is desired that the bolts be extended to hold the wheels, the pins 76 are raised so that the springs engaging the bolts will move them onto the sockets.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the class described, a

frame structure having forwardly and downturnedconverging side beams, a caster wheel mounted. to support the forward end of the frame, a transverse axle at the rear of mounting knuckles pivotally fixed at the ends of the axle, wheels mounted on' said knuckles and movable therewith from supporting position to collapsed relation in a horizontal plane, bolts for retaining the knuckles in supporting position and extendible to engage the wheel hubs to pre-' vent rotation of the wheels.

3. In a machine of the class described, a

. frame structure having a forward end supporting wheel, a transverse axle rotatably mounted at the rearward end of the frame and provided at its ends with knuckle mountings, knuckles pivotally fixed in said mountings, spring pressed bolts slidably contained in said mountings and extendible through the knuckles to retain them in supporting position, pins in the knuckles for limiting the advance of the locking bolts and removable to permit farther extension of the bolts into engagement with the wheel hubs to lock the wheels against rotation.

4. In a machine of the class described, a frame structure having a forward end supporting wheel, a transverse supporting axle at the rearward end of the frame rotatably mounted and provided with downwardly turned end portions, knuckle mountings at the ends of said downturned ends, knuckles pivotally fixed in said mountings, ground wheels mountedon the knuckles and movable therewith from vertical supporting relation to collapsed horizontal position.

5. In a machine of the class described, a frame structure comprising downwardly inclined and converging opposite side beams, a caster wheel mounted to support the forward end of the frame, a transverse axle at the rear of the frame rotatably supported and having downturned ends, ground wheels mounted at the ends of said axle and adapted to be adjusted from vertical to horizontal position and means for locking the axle at difierent positions of adjustment.

6. In a machine of the class described, a frame structure comprising downwardly inclined and converging opposite side beams, acaster wheel mounted to support the forward end of the frame, a transverse axle at the rear of the frame rotatably supported and having downturned ends, ground wheels mounted at the ends of said axle and adapted to be adjusted from vertical to horizontal position, means for locking the axle at differentpositions of adjustment, a spider mounted on the frame, a gun support pivotally mounted'by the spider, a gun carried by the support and a shield for the gun movable with the gun support.

7. In a machine of the class described, a frame comprising downwardly inclined and forwardly converging side beams, cross-bars rigidly fixed between the side beams, a supporting wheel at the forward end of the frame, a transverse axle at the rear of the frame rotatably mounted and having downturned end portions, wheel mounting devices at the ends of the axle, wheels supported by said mounting devices and movable from vertical to horizontal position, means for locking the axle at different positions of adjustment, a gun support mounted within the frame, a gun mounted pivotally in the support, a shield for the gun movable with the support and shields suspended from the cross-bars of the frame.

8. In a machine of the class described, a frame structure comprising opposite side beams and transverse connecting bars, a caster wheel supporting the forward end of the frame, a transverse axle at the rear of the frame, wheels mounted at the ends of the axle and handles formed at the rearward ends of the side beams whereby the machine may be guided, a gun carriage pivotally supported by the. frame, a forwardly tapered and longitudinally ridged shield movable with the gun carriage, a shield pivotally suspended from the underside of the ridged shield forwardly of the gun mounting, and a shield pivotally suspended from the frame forwardly of the gun mounting.

Signed at Seattle, King County, Washington, this 15th day of March, 1923.

WILLIAM A. RANDOLPH. 

